


A Wedding, A Wedding, We're Going To Have A Wedding

by Crossover_Chick



Series: The Forgotten Vows Verse [12]
Category: American McGee's Alice, Corpse Bride (2005)
Genre: Cute, F/M, Filling in a few of the gaps in the Fixing You timeskip, Humor, Marriage Proposal, Romantic Fluff, Wedding Planning, being schmoopy with my OTP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-06-09 18:36:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19481674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crossover_Chick/pseuds/Crossover_Chick
Summary: Not even the simplest wedding gets done without abitof planning. Before they went before the registrar, Victor and Alice had to straighten out a few key things. . .





	1. Dressed To Wed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to another Forgotten Vows Verse offering! This one's short but sweet -- a set of ~~four~~ **seven** moments set in the timeskip between chapters 17 and 18 of "Fixing You." I had some ideas about some of the preparations that went into Victor and Alice's wedding, and I figured the rest of you would be happy to see them too.
> 
> We start off with "Dressed To Wed" -- originally a gift fic for my friend Nebby over on Tumblr, Christmas 2018. Way back in 2015, she'd done a post on wedding dress designs for Alice, with the backstory of Nell trying to force Alice into a design _she_ wanted over what Alice herself wanted. I don't remember what reminded me of it, but it inspired me to do this update on the idea. I researched what the most fancy-schmancy place to get a dress from would be in the era, then went to town trying to design what I felt would be the gaudiest dress imaginable. XD Poor Alice -- I do _not_ envy her having this woman as a mother-in-law. . .

"I am _not_ getting married in _that_."

Nell Van Dort gawped at her, as if she'd announced her intention to march naked down the aisle. "What? Of course you are!" she snapped, thrusting the dress at Alice. "It's from Worth! In _Paris_! William and I paid 500 pounds to have them design and ship this out to us in time! It was made especially _for_ you!"

"Funny how that could be, given they didn't have my measurements," Alice said, wrinkling her nose. Ugh. . .it _could_ have been a nice dress, she supposed. If perhaps you reduced the bustle from its current status as 'could be used as an emergency seat for a surprise guest.' And cut off what had to be fifteen layers of tulle and lace, billowing the skirt out so far she had no idea how she'd fit through a doorway. And if you removed most of the gemstones winking at her from the chest – diamonds and rubies and sapphires, so heavily encrusted that the bodice resembled a sparkly suit of armor. And tore off every unnecessary ribbon – which, considering just how many Nell had convinced the designer to cram on there, would take the better part of a day. And shortened the sleeves, and adjusted the neckline, and sliced off the ruffles, and – well. If you went right back to the pattern and redid it all, it could have been a nice dress.

"We asked Dr. Wilson – he gave us a good estimate," Nell replied, oblivious to Alice's jaw nearly hitting the floor. "Obviously we'll have to have a fitting or two to make sure everything's _just_ right. You can use my dressmaker – she's done commissions for the Earl of Pembroke's wife!"

"You asked–" Alice pinched the bridge of her nose, holding back a Hysterical scream. "No. No, I won't blame him. . .he must have thought you were doing something nice for me. . .I don't know _why_ , but. . ." She looked up, pinning Nell to the wall with a glare. "You _know_ my taste in clothes. In what universe did you think I would willingly wear _that_?"

"You _have_ to!" Nell insisted, shaking the hanger. "500 pounds from the best designer in all of Europe! The Queen herself probably can't boast of spending this much on a dress!"

_"Certainly not on a dress like that,"_ the Queen of Hearts commented from over Alice's shoulder, sneering at the monstrosity. _"Part of being a Queen is having_ style _."_

"Mmm. Look, I understand it was expensive," Alice said, folding her arms. "And I'm terribly sorry you've wasted your money. But I am not, nor will I ever, put a _finger_ inside that dress."

Nell puffed up like a cobra ready to strike. "Do you really think you have a _choice_?"

"Yes, actually. Because Victoria and I already bought my wedding dress."

You could practically _hear_ the air hissing out of her as Nell went from furious red to shocked white faster than an exchange of pawns in Looking-Glass Land. "Wha – but – when?" she squeaked.

"Last week," Alice replied, relishing the look on Nell's face. "Granted, it's not _done_ yet – there's still a few fittings left to go – but it's paid for." She grinned as she gave the knife a final twist. "In fact, I designed the gown myself. The dressmaker was _quite_ impressed."

Nell gaped like a particularly dull Snark. "500 pounds!" she finally repeated, squeezing the dress against her bosom.

Alice shrugged, smirking. "Spend another 50 and get it dyed and let out to fit you."


	2. Something Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's interesting -- this started life as an unposted standalone short back in _2013_. Yes, that far back, I was already thinking about what I wanted to do with Victor and Alice's wedding. I'm pretty sure the inspiration was PlayerPiano's "The Cravat Pin" on FanFiction.net -- Victor discovers Victoria kept Emily's bouquet in that story, and it got me thinking about how the Victoria of my universe would handle her version of Emily's flowers. After all, she was the next bride -- but she didn't end up marrying Victor, did she? It was also a good opportunity to show a bit more of Alice and Victoria's dynamic -- they don't get to interact that much in the main arc, which is kind of a shame. For context, Victor and Alice are at the White house, staying over while they close the deal on the new home they're buying in Sandford not long before the wedding.
> 
> Fun fact: When I dug up the original file to edit it, I discovered I'd originally titled it "Something _Old_." I guess at the time I felt "Something Blue" was too on the nose? But let's face it -- it's Emily's bouquet. What do we remember about those flowers, their age or their color?

". . .You kept this?"

Victoria nodded, face solemn. "Of course I did."

Alice hovered her hand over the fragile bouquet resting in front of her. Roses, lilies, baby's breath – all colored the same cold blue, and dried to the point where Alice was afraid to actually touch them, worried they'd crumble away to nothingness beneath her fingers. How Emily had kept them in such good condition for so long, she had no clue. "I suppose the first question to ask is – how?" she said, finally raising her gaze to her tea partner. "From everything I've heard, your parents should have thrown it in the bin the moment they noticed it."

"That's just it – they didn't," Victoria responded, cradling her teacup in her hands. "They were in such a state, they just yanked me into the carriage without paying the slightest attention to what I was holding. I passed it to Hildegarde while they were convincing Emil to come with us, and she managed to hide it under the seat. She returned it to me once we'd reached the house and everyone else had gone to bed. I wrapped it up in some fresh paper and put it in the bottom drawer of my wardrobe. It's been there ever since."

"Ah." Alice squeezed cautious fingers around the stems. The parchment paper crinkled, though in welcome or in warning, she couldn't say. "You didn't – bring it to your wedding?"

Victoria shook her head. "Too much risk – my parents would have asked where it came from, and I didn't feel like having that conversation." She paused, swirling her tea. "And – well. It didn't feel right. When Emily tossed me those flowers, it was with the expectation that I would be marrying _Victor_. To carry them during my wedding to another man, even one as wonderful as Christopher. . ." She shook her head again. "I wasn't sure she'd approve."

Alice dared to brush her fingers over the top of a rose. The brittle petals held, tougher than they looked. "Is that why you're giving them to me?"

Victoria nodded. "You're the next bride."

"Yes, but. . .I'm not the bride Emily gave them to." Alice bit her lip, looking Victoria in the eye. "She meant these for _you_. Her sister-bride, so to speak, to that awful Barkis. The one who helped her find her peace. She never knew me from Adam. If she might not have approved of you marrying Christopher, would she approve of me marrying Victor?"

"It was Victor she knew best," Victoria argued, setting down her cup. "She'd want him to be happy, first and foremost. And you make him happy." She fiddled with her fingers. "Besides, she's sort of responsible for you two getting together."

Alice laughed painfully. "Oh, let's not put _that_ onto the poor girl. I don't think she'd enjoy knowing that her memory sent Victor to the likes of Bumby."

Victoria winced. "True. . .but – Victor told me about that dream he had of her, right before you helped him get his memories back once and for all. She seemed happy enough for you two then."

"Yes, but we can't be sure if that was really her, or just Victor's unconscious providing a familiar shape to help him along the path to recovery." Alice picked up the bouquet, rolling it gently in her hands. "And it's probably worth noting that I'm nowhere near as wedding-mad as she was. Victor and I have no bigger plans than going to the registrar in some nice clothes, and then having a little get-together at Houndsditch afterward. Even if she likes me, she's probably horrified by how I'm going to get married."

Victoria smiled. "Even so. . .I would like you to have them. If only for Victor's sake. I think – I think he'd like a token of her. She was very important to him for the two days they were together. And it might help sway any future skeptics too. Christopher's told me that seeing them while we were courting helped convince him that the story was really true." She sighed. "Maybe if I'd thought to ask the Van Dorts over and showed _them_. . ."

"I don't think it would have helped," Alice admitted. "Nell was simply too furious at Victor for losing his chance with you, and William. . .he didn't need the fuel for the fire of _his_ suspicions." She rubbed her thumb along the blunted thorns of a rose stem. "But I agree that Victor might like it. I just – it seems awfully important to you too."

"I simply want to honor her memory," Victoria said, knotting her fingers together. "Even if that means giving that up."

_"Purrhaps the thing to do here is to consult the wisdom of Solomon."_

Alice glanced over to see Cheshire lounging by her side, blood-flecked smile gleaming. _"A child may scream when split in twain,"_ he continued, tail flicking. _"But flowers do not."_ He tilted his head, considering. _"Well –_ these _flowers won't."_

Alice chuckled. _They're rather past that point, even if they were Looking-Glass blooms._ She examined the bouquet closely for a moment, then – with the greatest of care – eased the left half out of its paper prison. "We'll each take half," she explained to Victoria's questioning look. "Something borrowed for the old bride, and something blue for the new."

Victoria giggled softly, accepting the flowers with a nod. "That's fair." She gazed at them tenderly for a moment. "Maybe now I can finally bring myself to put mine in a proper vase. . .and I hope you do carry yours at your wedding. Even if it's just at the registrar. A reminder to cherish your marriage to a wonderful young man."

Alice smirked. "Oh, Victoria – if I need a reminder that he’s wonderful, I shouldn't be marrying him. Emily would agree with me on that."

_tap-tap-tap_

Both women started, then turned toward the window. A blue butterfly hovered there, beating its wings against the glass. It fluttered to and fro across the sill – then, finding the window wouldn't yield, finally turned and flapped away. Victoria looked back at Alice with a grin. "I think she just did."


	3. I Love My Love With An Amethyst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving back into stories I've written this year, I bring you something that was inspired by two discoveries on my part:
> 
> A) The fad of acrostic jewelry in the Victorian era -- rings, brooches, and more that spelled out names and words via the gemstones they were set with (amethyst for "a," beryl for "b," carnelian for "c" and so on) with "regards" being a popular and romantic choice for engagement rings
> 
> B) The fact that Victor and Alice sort of went from "boyfriend and girlfriend" to "engaged" with no real fanfare (other than June's squealing when they finally picked a wedding date, of course)
> 
> I decided that, now that I had a great idea for Alice's engagement ring, it might be a good idea for Victor to actually _propose_ , and thus this story was born. I hope it gives you the same warm fuzzies it gave me.

_All right. Here she comes. Just go up to her and – and – and oh, God, what am I doing? This is so_ stupid _! It's a completely unnecessary and pointless little ritual and –_ no _! That's your inner Nell talking and you know it. Sure, it's unnecessary, but – it's not pointless. And Alice isn't going to make fun of me for doing it. She may not_ understand _it, but she should be willing to go along. If she doesn't consider it an enormous waste of money. . . Victor, your trust fund could literally_ buy a village _. This is hardly a drop in the bucket. Besides, she liked her necklace, and that cost a fair bit! Although. . .that was something she wanted in real life for a while, and this – she's never really seemed to_ care _whether or not we –_

"Are you all right?"

Victor blinked, startled out of his thoughts by the sudden Alice before him. "H-huh?"

"Just that you're pulling a lot of faces for no particular reason I can see," Alice continued, folding her arms with a concerned tilt of her head. "What's on your mind?"

"I – er – um – well. . ." Victor fiddled with his tie, gathering his wits. _Do it don't do it it's important it's silly_ _I need to she doesn't need it_ _she might understand she – she – loves you._

_She_ loves _you._

The scales tipped. Victor dropped his tie, sucking in a deep breath. "Alice – I need to ask you something."

One eyebrow went up. "All right – what?"

"Well, you see, it's – it's a question I really already know the answer to," Victor continued, fiddling with his fingers. "But actually _asking_ it is – k-kind of important to me. So, um, c-could you indulge me? Please?"

Alice squinted at him. "You want to ask me something. . .that you already know. For reasons." Victor nodded, his most awkward smile in place. She shrugged. "Well, the Queen thinks it's bad manners, but we don't give tuppence for her opinion. If it'll make you happy, go right ahead."

The tension drained out of Victor's shoulders in a _whoosh_. "Thank you," he whispered. He took a moment to check for witnesses – the children would _definitely_ make fun of him for this, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to take the time to explain this whole ritual to Dr. Wilson and June. But, in a rare stroke of luck, the hallway was clear of anyone except them. Victor nodded, turned back to Alice, tucked in his tie, straightened his lapels –

And sank down onto one knee. Alice's eyes widened as she realized what was coming. "Alice Liddell – I love you," he said, quietly pleased that his voice came out without the slightest shake or catch. "And I want to be with you for the rest of my life." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the box he'd picked up that morning, snapping it open in one smooth motion to reveal the ring. "Will you marry me?"

Alice stared at him for a moment. Then her lips turned up in a fond smile. "Be rather inconvenient of me to say no now, wouldn't it?" she replied, rocking on her heels. "Of course I will."

All right – he _really_ shouldn't be grinning so goofily over an answer he'd known was coming. He took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger, then decided it would be a shame to waste a rare opportunity where they were both the same height and leaned forward to kiss her. "Thank you."

"Thank you," Alice said, returning the kiss. She held up her hand, admiring the new piece of jewelry. "Colorful, isn't it?"

"Amethyst, lapis lazuli, iris quartz, carnelian, and emerald," Victor told her, getting up again. "I know acrostics are the fashion these days, but – I didn't want to just give you 'regards.'"

Alice's brow wrinkled. "You've lost me a bit, I'm afraid."

"Oh – w-well, the idea is that the gems spell out a word," Victor explained, giving his tie a tug. "Or, in your case, a name."

"Ah. So - amethyst, lapis lazuli, iris – oh!" Alice laughed softly, going pink. "I see. . .well. I didn't know ALICE could look so pretty." She ran her finger over the deep-set stones, then looked up at him. "My turn for a question, if you don't mind – why the need to propose when we're already knee-deep in wedding preparations?"

"Because I never got to before," Victor explained, clasping his hands together. "My parents arranged everything between Victoria and me – I've told you before, I never even got a chance to speak to her before the rehearsal. And when I stumbled across Emily in the woods. . .well, that was both an accident, and not really a _proposal_. I was reciting my vows – as far as she was concerned, we were already wed by the time she brought me Downstairs. And with you. . .well, we just sort of - became engaged after I got my memory back, what with everyone knowing we were going to marry before _we_ did. I know our circumstances didn't really allow for me to actually _court_ you, and I don't particularly mind now that we _are_ together, but. . ."

Alice suddenly frowned. "Does this have anything to do with our trip to the jeweler earlier this week? He did seem very disapproving of my bare fingers while we were picking out the wedding ring."

"He got me thinking about it, yes," Victor confirmed. He took her hands. "But it wasn't his scowling that convinced me to do this. It was me thinking, 'This is my last chance. This is the woman _I_ picked to be my bride. This is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I _want_ to propose to her. I _want_ to be official about it.' Because. . ." He glanced down at the ring, a silver-lined rainbow glittering against her skin. "Because I love you. And I wanted – _needed_ to share that with you."

The smile came back, warmer and sweeter than ever. "I love you too. And you know what? It was nice to be proposed to. Officially." She stretched herself up on tiptoe to kiss him again, then leaned herself against his shoulder to whisper directly into his ear. "I, uh, just hope you know there's no _way_ I can wear something clearly _this_ expensive in Whitechapel."

Victor laughed. "I do," he promised her, kissing her temple. "Pop it back in the box and we'll find a good place to hide it until the seventh?"

"That sounds like an excellent plan."


	4. Cake Occupies A Special Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up on the wedding checklist -- the menu! Which, for Victor and Alice, was very easy as they're already friends with quite the eager super-chef. XD This isn't really anything more than me justifying the menu at the reception in "Fixing You" -- in particular, showing how they came up with the idea for their cake in-universe -- but I hope you enjoy it just the same. The mention of Nell probably wanting a boar's head at HER version of the reception comes from the PlayerPiano fic "Dinner at 8" over on FanFiction.net, where Nell was insistent on having one as the centerpiece of a dinner party (to the point where she annoyed her cook into quitting and she and Victoria had to handle all the preparations).

"All right! Let's talk wedding menu!"

Victor couldn't help a laugh as June plopped down across from him and Alice, pad and pencil in hand. "You sound like you've been waiting for this moment for a while."

"That's because I have," June replied, grinning back at him. She twirled her pencil. "So – I know you two don't want anything _too_ fancy. No roast boar's head or pheasant's bum or whatever else Mrs. Van Dort would have liked to stick on the table. But surely you have _something_ in mind for your wedding breakfast?"

"I do, but only because it allows me to inflict a terrible pun on everyone – actual breakfast," Alice confessed with an embarrassed little smile. "But given the earliest appointment Victor and I could secure with Mr. Adams was at noon precisely, I suspect we're going to want something that isn't pancakes and eggs. Especially since we're marrying at the beginning of July."

"Traditional breakfast dishes _would_ be rather hot for the weather," June agreed. "It's a hilarious idea, but probably best to skip it." She tapped her pencil against her lips. "What about picnic fare? Sandwiches and the like? Something simple and quick that's guaranteed to be ready by the time you get back."

"That sounds good," Victor said, glancing at Alice for confirmation. "Chicken salad, perhaps?"

"Or cucumber sandwiches," Alice nodded. "And we'll have plenty of fresh fruit in season, which will be nice. Perhaps we could make lemonade?"

"I've done that plenty of times for my sisters," June said, scribbling on her paper. "Chicken salad, cucumber, fruit – how about a cheese dish, too? I can do a platter, or maybe a fondue. . ."

"We trust your judgment," Victor assured her. "Whatever you come up with, I'm sure it'll be delicious."

"Just include plenty of that wonderful bread you make, and I'll be happy," Alice added.

"Will do." June beamed. "All right, that's the main course taken care of. Now, we come to the _important_ part – the cake."

"Mmmm – I'm glad you know your priorities," Alice teased.

"More I know you and Victor," June replied with a friendly smirk. "Which means I've already ruled out fruitcake and white cake." She glanced between them, pencil poised and ready. "So – what flavor _do_ you want?"

"Oh, we ought to have chocolate–"

"We should _definitely_ go with strawberry–"

Victor stopped at the same moment as Alice, staring at her in confusion. She stared back, apparently just as baffled as him. "I – I thought – strawberry's your favorite flavor, isn't it?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Yes, and chocolate's yours," Alice replied, lifting an eyebrow. "So why not chocolate? You know I hardly hate it."

"Well, it's not like I hate strawberry." Victor tugged at his tie. "And – you're the bride. What you say, goes."

"And you're the groom, without which I wouldn't _be_ a bride," Alice said, folding her arms. "Why should my tastes override yours? Besides, the children would probably like chocolate better."

"The children will eat any cake we put in front of them and you know it."

June looked between them, sucking her pencil. "I could make _two_ cakes, you know," she offered. "It wouldn't be that much more cooking time."

"Oh – _very_ tempting," Alice murmured, playing with her omega necklace. "But it might be too many leftovers even for us, and I don't want you to have to go to _too_ much trouble. Especially in front of a hot oven." She tangled the chain around her fingers. "Perhaps some sort of combination instead? Fresh strawberries on a chocolate cake wouldn't go amiss. . ."

"It could be chocolate shavings on a strawberry one," Victor countered, not quite able to let the idea of Alice getting _her_ preferred flavor go. _Likely yet another thing I can blame on my mother and her bullying my father into whatever_ she _wanted. . ._ "I think that sounds good."

"I think I can do you both one better," June said, popping the pencil out of her mouth. "What do you think – chocolate cake with strawberry frosting and filling, or strawberry cake with chocolate frosting and filling?"

The image of a beautiful dark brown cake, slathered with pink frosting and oozing strawberry preserves between its layers, filled Victor's mind. He licked his lips, pressing a hand against his waiting belly. "That sounds – decadent."

"It does," Alice agreed, swallowing an invisible bite. "But of the two, I think the first - chocolate with a bit of strawberry - is the best option. And yes, I'm sure of that," she added with a significant glance at Victor.

He blushed, adding a bit of strawberry to the current proceedings. "Sorry. I just – want this to be perfect for you."

"And I do appreciate that. But this isn't all about me. You're allowed to have the things you prefer too, sometimes." She frowned. "Unless you've had the opposite thought from me and actually want the strawberry with chocolate."

"No, no – I think chocolate with strawberry is the _perfect_ combination," Victor assured her, chuckling.

"Then we're done," June declared, writing it down. "I'll make sure I have everything stocked this week, then get to work while you two are off getting married." She tapped the tip of her pencil against her paper. "Unless you have any other requests?"

_Grrrroooowllll. . ._

Victor went even pinker as his grip tightened on his middle. "Um – m-maybe a snack?"

June giggled as Alice patted his shoulder. "I _think_ I can scare up a few digestives and some milk."


	5. And Magic Makes It All Complete

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was originally supposed to be a _four_ -parter, but then my brain came up with some new ideas. As it does. And one of those ideas was showing Dr. Fixxler offering up his gift of a "Downstairs reception" to Victor and Alice. I hadn't done as much with him as I'd anticipated in "Fixing You," so it was nice to bring him back here and show a little more of his developing friendship with Victor and Alice. And to show off Victor and Alice learning more magic -- something _else_ that I keep meaning to expand upon in this verse. Ended up being a very sweet scene. . .which is why I used a lyric from the _My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic_ theme song as a title. :p
> 
> Bonus fact: Alice is supposed to be wearing one of the alternate dresses from the A:MR artbook in this short -- the one with the black bodice, blue-and-white-striped sleeves, and blue, black, and white-checked skirt.

_Fwwwwip!_

Victor snatched the quill out of the air, beaming. "Yes! Oh, that was _perfect_!" he cried, twirling it between his fingers with unusual grace. "Alice, did you see that?"

"Given I was looking directly at you when it happened, yes," Alice replied with an amused smirk. "Enjoying our new spell, aren't we?"

"It's so _fun_!" Victor beckoned a nearby teacup – it clattered off its saucer and slid across the table toward him. "And useful as well!" He flicked his fingers, and the cup skittered away again. "No more stretching under desks or reaching under beds or–"

_Smash! tinkle tinkle tinkle. . ._ ". . .knocking other things over. . ."

Dr. Fixxler snorted. "Don't worry, Victor – I broke my fair share of stuff when I first learned Forward And Away too," he said, rounding the table to assess the damage. "And do you know how many of those fancy bottles behind the counter I've smashed by accident?" He clapped his hands. "Luckily for all of us, this is another problem magic can easily fix. You pick this up, and I'll show you another spell you're bound to get a lot of use out of."

"There's a lot of these small household spells, aren't there?" Alice observed as Victor began summoning the shattered remains of the teacup back onto the table one bit at a time. "In stories, magic always tends to be – flashier."

"Hey, I've shown you plenty of _those_ spells too," Fixxler said, loping toward a nearby cupboard. He pulled open a drawer and extracted a lump of some white stuff, which he began rolling and pressing between his hands. "But yeah, most of them are just designed to help you through the day-to-day drudgery. Showing off has its place–" He swung out an arm to indicate the shop, with its hanging skeletons and colored bottles and mysterious-looking furniture "–but I think, in the end, most of us prefer being able to just summon a lost quill from the floor."

"Or a broken teacup," Alice nodded, waggling her hand at the remaining pieces. They jumped onto the table, making Victor start. "Sorry, darling, but you were going a bit slow for me."

"I just _knew_ that if I tried going any faster, one of those shards would come flying up and stick me," Victor explained, shaking his head. "And I'd prefer _not_ to be nursing any fresh scars at our wedding."

"Ah yes, the big event." Fixxler walked back over to the table, molding the white blob – which Alice now guessed to be wax – into a rough bowl shape. "How go the preparations?"

"We've made the appointment with the registrar, June has the menu, and I'm just a couple of fittings away from having my dress," Alice told him, ticking off items on her fingers.

"Nice." Fixxler gave her a grin. "Though I have to admit, I'm a little surprised you don't save yourself a few pounds and just go clothed in naught by your imagination."

"Would be cheaper," Alice admitted, concentrating for a moment. A blinding white gown settled over her body, skirts fluttering in an invisible wind. "But the slightest slip-up, and suddenly I'd be rather under-dressed for my own nuptials. Not to mention I'd have to maintain the illusion for quite a while." Her ordinary clothes reasserted themselves, white darkening into black and blue. "Besides, it's nice to be able to buy new dresses and not worry about the cost for a change."

"All right, fair enough – not like I don't spend a few pounds here or there on fancy clothes myself," Fixxler allowed, glancing down at his bright purple suit. He picked up a chunk of teacup and pressed it into the wax. "Sounds like you're pretty much set, then."

"More or less," Victor said, watching as Fixxler pieced the broken china back together around the wax core. "Though – we did want to ask you something."

"Oh?"

"Yes – would – would you mind serving as one of our witnesses?"

Fixxler stopped mid-press, staring at him. "What? I thought – don't you already have someone?"

"Dr. Wilson, Victoria, and Christopher have all agreed to put their names on the license," Alice confirmed, putting the handle in place on the puzzle-cup. "But we'd like to have you there too. After all, you've been an invaluable help to us over the past few months."

"If you hadn't suggested to Alice that she ought to go into my mind back when I was still amnesiac, it might have taken me ages to get my memory back," Victor agreed, pressing a shard into position. "And then teaching us how to _actually_ enter each other's dreams. . .who knows if I'd be in any shape to get married this July without that?"

"Not to mention the whole trip Downstairs to see my family," Alice continued, playing with a bit of china. "My hallucinations would be so much worse if I hadn't gotten that closure. . .the point is, we owe you rather a lot." She shrugged. "And, frankly, we just _want_ you there. You're our friend. Why wouldn't we give you a spot in our special day?"

Fixxler's entire face crinkled up in a smile. "Well then – I'd be honored," he said, taking the last piece of cup from her and pushing it into place. "You two have been my favorite customers for a while, after all." He winked. "And you _did_ take me to see the greatest magician the world has ever known. I probably owe you a favor after that."

Alice shared a soft chuckle with Victor. "True. Thank you, Dr. Fixxler."

"You're welcome – and listen, call me Jeremiah. I think we've spent enough time together to be on first-name terms."

Alice nodded. "True as well. Thank you Jeremiah then."

"My pleasure. Now, watch this." Fixxler shut his eyes tight, cupping the crudely-stuck-together cup in both hands. The wax inside it blazed with a bright light – then melted, smoothly flowing into the ether as the pieces drew together, cracks sealing over. Within moments, the cup looked brand new again. "See? Plenty flashy, don't you think?"

"Amazing," Victor said, face aglow. "And yes, that'll be very useful in Houndsditch!"

"Figured it might be." Fixxler twirled the cup by its handle around his finger, expression thoughtful. "Though. . .speaking of flashy magic. . .I think I owe you a bit more than just signing a few papers at your wedding."

Alice tilted her head. "How do you mean?"

"Well, you wrote to your family, right? Told them when you were getting married? Your mother seemed pretty eager to know."

"I did – right after we set the date," Alice confirmed. "They promised to be at Houndsditch the same day. 'Even if we can't see the ceremony, we'll celebrate with you in spirit.'"

"Or, you know, they could celebrate with you in the flesh once night falls."

Alice's head snapped straight again as Victor's jaw dropped. "I mean, we've established that I _can_ send you Downstairs," Fixxler continued, clearly enjoying the looks on their faces. "And I have been struggling with what to get you for a wedding present. Better than having to wait around until Halloween and recreate the whole mess, right?"

"You'd – you'd really do that for us?" Victor whispered, eyes wide.

"Like I said – I owe you." Fixxler smiled again, a warm thing that lit up his whole face. "And like you said – we're friends, aren't we?"

Ten seconds later, the teacup was once again in pieces on the floor – but Alice felt _that_ was a better casualty of her and Victor's combined spontaneous tackle-hug than poor Jeremiah himself.


	6. We'll Go To Brighton (But Not For You)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to come full circle on these wedding prep stories, with another chapter detailing Nell and William's attempts to force their wedding vision on Victor and Alice. Strangely, though, this time the elder Van Dorts are offering something Alice in particular wants. A shame that they can't just leave it at that. . . If you wanted a few more details about why William and Nell weren't at the wedding (beyond "the author didn't want them there because she doesn't like them"), here you go.
> 
> Reference check: the title was inspired by one of the Liddell memories you can pick up (the very one Alice mentions in the story, in fact), while "Lady Abernathy" gets her name from the Abernathy family from _Fallout 4_ , which I was playing while writing this story. (Doing a "Victor" run, actually -- though I'm not sure how well he actually turned out. It's hard to make him look good when you can't go cartoony!) "Goodwood" was a horse race that was indeed run near the end of the London Season, and Mayfair one of the premiere shopping locations in the city. And the old Royal Pavilion (which at this point had no royals in it, due to Queen Victoria going somewhere else on her holidays for more privacy), the Palace Pier, and the Sussex County Cricket Grounds were all real places one could visit in Brighton. (Hell, maybe they still are -- I was focusing mainly on the Victorian version of the place!)

"I don't know _why_ you're bothering, William. They're just going to say no."

"Now, Nell, you don't know that for sure," William replied, as usual the voice of calm reason in their relationship.

"I can make a good guess," Nell countered, frowning deeply at her son and soon-to-be-daughter-in-law across the table. "They've said no to everything _else_ , after all. No church, no guests, no reception–"

"We're having a reception, Mother," Victor interrupted, hoping he didn't sound as tired as he felt. Ugh, why had he accepted their invitation to their hotel suite? Tea with his parents was exhausting enough without the additional weight of wedding preparations pressing down on them. "At Houndsditch."

"With guests, no less," Alice added, matching Nell's frown. "June's doing us a cake and everything."

"One course and cake in the middle of an orphanage? With a bunch of children, their minders, a 'doctor of alternative medicines,' and the Whites?" Nell huffed. "That _hardly_ counts. _And_ you turned down that dress I had made _especially_ for you."

"Because I'd already designed one," Alice said through gritted teeth. Victor put a hand on her arm. "You could have _asked_ me if I'd been to the dressmaker's before putting in an order to France."

"I just assumed you'd be _grateful_ to receive some new clothes," Nell responded, tone acid. "Given your _circumstances_."

"Look, we all know that we haven't always seen eye-to-eye on this whole business," William said, holding up a hand to forestall further argument. "But, Victor, Alice – we'd like to contribute _something_ to your wedding."

"You could always make a donation to Houndsditch, Father," Victor told him. "New books and clothes and bedding is always needed. Plus repairs to the house itself. They've only _just_ managed to upgrade some of the plumbing."

"I _could_ , but – that's hardly a _wedding_ present, now is it?" William replied, neatly side-stepping the very idea of being charitable. "We want to do something for you two specifically."

"Something that you could at least _fake_ excitement for before shooting it down," Nell added, glowering into her teacup.

"Don't get aflutter, dear," William soothed. He turned his best smile on Victor and Alice, all at once the perfect salesman who'd skyrocketed his simple canning business to incredible heights. "Which is why we'd like to arrange your honeymoon!"

Victor's stomach dropped right into his shoes. His parents? Plan his _honeymoon_? _And here I thought sending me to Bumby was the worst they could inflict on me! What will they do?_ _The Season will be winding down, but there'll still be all sorts of parties and balls and such they can wrangle invitations to. . .is Goodwood held in July? I suppose I don't have anything_ against _horse racing, and it's smaller than the Derby, but it's still likely to be crowded. . .or maybe they'll just drag us to Mayfair and force us on daily shopping expeditions, just like Mother did with me when I was small. . ._

Alice raised an eyebrow, looking as dubious as he felt. "It's very kind of you to offer. . .but where, exactly, were you thinking?"

"Brighton!" William declared, smile widening. "We think it's just the thing! Some fresh sea air on the boardwalk, away from the smog of the city. . .it'll do you both some good. Not to mention it's _the_ place to go for a holiday these days."

_Yes, of_ course _, can't have your son and his new wife go somewhere_ private _right after getting married,_ Victor thought bitterly. _They must see and be seen, even though they hate socializing as a general rule. When are they_ ever _going to see the people in front of them instead of the perfect Society pair they want?_ He opened his mouth, ready to politely refuse and explain that they'd prefer to pick their _own_ destination –

And then he saw Alice's face. Not closed off and angry, as he'd expected, but – thoughtful. _Hopeful_ , even. "Alice?" he asked, tilting his head.

"I don't know about anyone else. . .but my family always wanted to go to Brighton," Alice said softly, twisting up a corner of her apron. "When we had the gas laid on, Papa promised us a trip using the savings we'd accumulate over the winter. I was so looking forward to it. . .but then. . ." She bit her lip, then turned toward him, taking his hand in hers. "I'd – I'd like to go. Provided you have no objections."

Oh, how could he ever refuse those gorgeous green eyes? And, well, while Brighton was sure to be _busy –_ it wasn't London during the Season. Surely they could find quiet spots to slip off to, little pleasures to indulge in. And besides, when was the last time _he'd_ been to the seaside? He had a vague memory of being burned building a sandcastle when he was – five? Six? Somewhere around that time. But then they'd started making real money with the cannery, and Mother had insisted their next holiday be spent in London, and they'd never found their way back. . . It would be nice to return to the beach. See what had happened in the years he'd been away. He nodded, covering Alice's hand with his. "I'm game if you are."

"Excellent!" William clapped his hands together, as Nell gawked at them, eyes wide. "We'll book you a week in the Grand Hotel tomorrow! See, Nell, they're not completely against us."

"I never would have believed it," Nell admitted, beaming. " _Finally_ you're starting to see sense! I'll make you up a list of everywhere you need to go right away. You'll have to visit the old Royal Pavilion at _least_ once, and all three piers – Palace Pier first, of course! And then there's the Sussex County Cricket Ground–"

"You don't expect me to actually _play_ , do you?!" Victor blurted, mind full of balls crashing through windows and an ill-held bat nearly taking off his tutor's head.

"Oh, no, no," Nell said, waving a hand. "Just watch! You've got to see and be seen, you know! Oh, and I'll have to write you a few letters of introduction as well! Lady Abernathy should be holidaying there around the same time, and she always–"

"Mother." Victor leaned forward, hitting her with the stare he used on the unruliest orphans. "We appreciate your generous offer. We're happy to go to Brighton. But this is _our_ honeymoon. I am _not_ going to spend my time doing everything _you_ want to do."

"Neither am I," Alice agreed, folding her arms. "We thank you, but – if this trip comes with a built-in to-do list? We'll fund our own way there."

Nell stared briefly. " _Fine_ ," she snapped at last, setting down her teacup with a loud _clack_. "Go to Brighton and hide in your room. Don't do _anything_ to advance yourself socially. Stay in the gutter with the rest of the refuse in Whitechapel. We have tried again and again to get you to do things the _proper_ way, but you keep spitting it back in our faces! What am I supposed to tell people when they ask about my son's wedding? That he barely even had one? Don't you think that's an _embarrassment_ to the Van Dort name?"

"Well if you're _that_ opposed to Alice and I doing things _our_ way, you needn't come!"

Nell jerked back, shocked. Victor didn't blame her – he could barely believe he'd just said that either. Alice gaped at him a moment – then her eyebrows lowered, and she nodded. "Exactly," she agreed, squeezing his hand. "If it's an embarrassment, please feel free to skip attending. We wouldn't want to hurt your reputation, after all."

For the barest split-second, Victor thought he saw hurt and regret pass over Nell's face. Then they vanished as she put her nose in the air. "We'll see how busy we are the day of the ceremony. It _is_ the Season."

William looked between them, a lost flopping sardine in the middle of a vast ocean. "Um. . .well then," he said, twisting his hands together. "Honeymoon sorted. The, ah, the Grand Hotel _is_ all right?"

"That'll be fine, Father," Victor told him. "We'd be happy to accept a week there." Then, just to throw the poor old man a bone, "So – how _is_ the canning business going these days?"


	7. In A World Of Our Own

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's our final chapter! Which is really more of an epilogue, as it takes place _after_ Victor and Alice have gotten married. The thing is, while I was working on wrapping up the other chapters, a thought hit me -- if Alice's family and Victor's friends down in the Land of the Dead wanted to throw them a reception. . .shouldn't Wonderland want to do the same? And then of course I had to include some of Victor's Otherland, as established near the end of "Fixing You," and here we are! Enjoy what I think is probably the fluffiest end this little series of vignettes could have had.
> 
> Also, for your edification, the characters from Victor's Otherland:
> 
> \-->Desire we've seen before near the end of "Fixing You" -- he's Victor's romantic/sexual leanings, and currently makes his home in the Living Dead Forest, also seen at the end of "Fixing You"
> 
> \-->Mr. Explorer is kind of Victor's inner child -- he lives in the Butterfly Jungle
> 
> \-->The Conductor is Victor's musical talents, and he of course lives in Orchestralia
> 
> \-->The Grand High Wizard is Victor's interest in magic (yes, there is influence there from both Fixxler and Gutknecht), and he lives in the Magic Tower.
> 
> (Also, all the items Hatter lists are things I saw as part of a full English breakfast, and "gregarious" is a term for describing a group of very scattered, loose mushrooms. Though in Wonderland they're probably "gregarious" in the other sense too.)

"I still think it's a miracle that the worst accident we've suffered in that hole so far is you bouncing off a bed into me."

"Shush, you," Alice said, squeezing Victor's hand as they tumbled past the rainbow fog into a bank of clouds. "Is tonight really the night to tempt fate? We've got little enough time here as it is."

"It doesn't seem to be sucking us back in or spitting anything out at us," Victor observed, looking back up at the fading mouth of the tunnel in the sky. He flipped himself upright, pulling her with him. "I think we're safe for now." He shot her a teasing grin. "And _you're_ the one who wanted to go to Brighton."

"I might have rethought that desire if I'd known it would require waking up so early to catch the train," Alice replied, flicking her hair out of her face.

"Mmm – shame we can't take the Looking-Glass Line there, isn't it?" Victor said, raking his fingers through a cloud. "Would be a much more comfortable – and interesting – ride."

"Indeed, but, sadly, I still can only summon the look of a thing, not the thing itself. And the owner of the Brighton line would probably be a _bit_ put out by a passenger bringing her _own_ train to run on _their_ tracks." Alice shut her eyes as a familiar heat filled her belly. "Better to enjoy it in its natural environment."

"I intend to," Victor said, squeezing his own lids shut against the bright flash of transforming clothes. "So – where to first?"

"Well, if I know my rabbit hole, we should be about to land in the Vale of Tears." Alice peeked out as the light faded, catching a glimpse of rainbow leaves and tall stately trunks. "So we may as well start with my – hang on." She blinked her eyes clear, twisting her head to the left as they hit the earth. "That's – Victor, I do believe those are _yours_."

"What?" Victor followed her finger to the line of tall blue trees nearby, branches and roots twisted into piles of wooden bones. "Oh! That they are! That's - curious."

"That's my line." Alice ventured forward a few steps, frowning as she observed the change from her oaks and maples with their pastel foliage, to the more electric colors of Victor's birches and pines. "I know I've accused you of getting into my head before, but this seems a bit beyond the pale."

"Doesn't it?" Victor turned right, brow crinkled. "But it's definitely _Wonderland_ on this side. . ." He tapped his fingers against the bark of the tree beside him. "It's almost like we've – we've landed on the border between my mind and yours. How does _that_ work?"

"Well – we _did_ just get married," Alice said, turning back toward him. "Figuratively merged our two lives into one. Maybe Wonderland and your Otherland are taking that more literally?" On a hunch, she checked her attire. "I mean, look what one or the other just put us in."

"Huh?" Victor glanced down to find his wedding suit back on his frame, and her wedding gown on hers. "Ah. All right, yes, that's not too much of a surprise. Like you said, we _just_ got married. Only natural the outfits would be on our minds."

"And it would be terrible manners to attend your reception in anything but."

Victor nearly jumped out of his skin, smacking into the tree with a yelp. Alice stumbled, similarly surprised, then managed to catch herself. "Cheshire!" she scolded, scanning every nook and cranny for the grin. "Any particular _reason_ for nearly giving us heart attacks?"

"R-reception?" Victor added, rubbing his head. "But – we've – we've already had one. In fact, we've had _two_!"

"Then it shan't be too much trouble for you to have a third," Cheshire said, fading in by his calves. He wove his skeletal body around Victor's equally-skinny limbs, curling his tail possessively around one thigh. "We've already made all the preparations."

"Indeed!" Hatter cried, abruptly popping out from behind a particularly tall and thick oak. Alice just barely suppressed another start. "March, Dormy, and I have been cooking since morning!"

"You mean your _automatons_ have been cooking since morning." Desire stepped around a pine, shaking his head as he pulled his robe a little tighter around himself. "Aren't you the one always telling us that we must say what we mean?"

"I am, you overgrown libido!" Hatter snapped back. "Bacon, eggs, sausage, mushrooms, baked beans, toast, grilled tomatoes – the lot! We couldn't put the machines on it – they make _tea_ things, and this is a breakfast!"

"Well, _we_ got the cake ready!" Mr. Explorer replied, popping out of a coffin bush and pushing his pith helmet out of his eyes. "Strawberry with chocolate frosting and filling! So they could have both kinds, just like Victor wanted!"

"And _we_ handled decorations!" Leader trooped proudly out of a gregarious pile of mushrooms, followed closely by Scribbles and Ginger. "We couldn't let the Houndsditch orphans beat _us_ , could we?"

"Of course you couldn't," the Conductor said, appearing beside a bony birch with an indulgent smile. "But don't forget who arranged the music."

Alice stared, a stunned hand over her mouth. "Wait – wait wait wait," she said finally, shaking her head. "You – all of you – threw a party for us?"

"Of _course_!" The Grand High Wizard swooped in, trailing silver stardust from his robes. "This is a day of celebration, after all!"

"We've been anticipating the wedding as much as you two have," Cheshire added, smiling warmly at the couple. "Why wouldn't we make a fuss over you?"

"We may be imaginary, but we're still your friends," Mr. Explorer agreed, face bright.

Victor looked around the group, hands clasped at his heart. "This is. . .thank you," he said, wiping away a growing wetness in his eyes. "It's – it's nice to be reminded that I don't really hate myself anymore."

"I feel the same," Alice nodded, reaching down to give Cheshire a scratch behind the ears. He purred and rubbed against her hand. "Thank you very much."

"Don't thank us until we've actually _done_ it," the Conductor said, chuckling. He stood up straight and adjusted his tuxedo. "Shall we start at my Hall in Orchestralia for a little pre-breakfast music? Then Hatter over there can lead us to Assemblage (Or Destruction) As Required to stuff our faces."

"That sounds fine to me." Victor turned to offer Alice his arm as the various citizenry hurried off through the combined woods –

Then paused. A playful grin crossed his face. "What?" Alice asked, raising an eyebrow. "What are – Oh!"

Alice automatically grabbed for his neck as he suddenly scooped her up into his arms. "Oh," she repeated, trying to get her bearings. "Er – any particular reason for giving me a lift?"

"Well, you're my new wife," Victor told her, adjusting his grip. He nodded at the join between their two worlds, the Vale of Tears and the Living Dead Forest mingling in perfect harmony. "Aren't I supposed to carry you over the threshold?"

Oh, he was such a sap – and she loved him for it. "You are," she confirmed, snuggling into him. "If you would, Mr. Liddell?"

"My pleasure, Mrs. Van Dort."


End file.
